Hi Gang! The weekend was BLESSEDLY mellow and uneventful. Today was another story. Today I can officially say I have been gassed by the US government. We had to do the practical application of gas mask usage. They say it's it so we will learn that our gas masks are reliable and so that we'll be able to identify some with victims of a gas attack. Apparently this the gas they used on us is a version of the gas Saddam used to kill 1500 of his own people when he was testing it out. It's miserable, nasty stuff.
At first, I didn't think the whole thing was so bad - we marched into the chamber (20 of us) and the instructors in there had us line up shoulder to shoulder against the walls (we had our masks on before we got in there). One at a time they had us raise our masks, say our full names and social security number (this was so we'd get some gas in our masks and have to clear it properly). So far, ok, no big deal - I got to feel the gas (a skin irritant) burn my facial skin a little, but not unbearable. Then came the hard part. In order to leave we had to fully remove our masks and just be in the gas for 15 seconds. Sounds easy, right? I thought so. They warned us that we would want to panic when we took off our masks. They told us we would need to fight that instinct and stay in control. I fought that fight. When I took off that mask, almost immediately I felt my body begin to freak out. I couldn't breath, my eyes and face were stinging and it was very hot all of a sudden. I held it together enough to get out. I thought that would be it - ok, game over - now breath again and get on with it, right? Once I hit the air, all I wanted to do was hit the ground. I still couldn't breath or see and my skin still burned. I felt like coughing and throwing up all at the same time, but nothing would come out. (I'm so thankful I took a classmate's advice and skipped breakfast). I was also grateful there was a sergeant at the end calling encouragement to me to keep moving and flap and breath (you had to flap your arms to get the gas off you - the only antidote to this gas is fresh air). God was gracious; there was a cool (more so than the chamber) breeze that came up as I was walking out that really helped me clear the gas. It was really a scary thing for about 2-3 minutes there, even know this was minor and people were looking out for us.
As I did two short laps around a loop flapping, I really felt like crying. Not because of the physical ordeal (that really wasn't so bad), but because I know there are people who have died in that. It was a sickening, sobering, saddening thought that one human being could do that to another and leave someone to die in that. I've been pondering/praying about that all day.
PR
-Pray for people in countries where biological and chemical warfare is still practiced (Iraq, Iran, etc.); pray for God's mercy and protection.
3 comments:
hey girl! i am soooo proud of you! you are doing amazing and you are attaining your goals - what an inspiration! :) keep up the good work and know the Lord is behind you ALL the way! (Phil. 4:13) please know you are ALWAYS in my prayers and i can't wait to see you soon! love ya bunches - yetti
Hey Ter,
Wow, you did such an amazing job describing the ordeal I thought I was right there with you. It is sickening and sobering to remember that human beings have done this to each other in the past and will in the future (most likely). I almost started crying at my desk! I'm also proud that you kept your wits about you and got through it!! God is good.
-milner
Good writing Ter!
By God, maybe there's a novel in you yet. :-)
That's an ordeal every GI must undergo. When I went through my gas training in Ft. Dix, N.J., ca. 1961, it was considerably easier than you describe. I always wondered if they really had any gas in there at all, or if they just told us there was.
Keep it up, sweetie.
Love,
Dad
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